DOES ANYONE out there have ANY answers about this subject?!! I have been reading old posts on here about this, but NO follow-up! I am in this hellish attack now and it is torment!! Any information about this....this sunken, distorted, malformed, contorted muscles, hollowness in temples and under cheeks and eyes!! This is a nightmare! Someone must have some answers/...What is it with the medical profession!? I am being treated for this by an orthodontist and a splint on my lower teeth and the pain, and the pressure and the pulling is unbearable!! BUT THE FACE!!! Please help!!

The following user gives a hug of support to Jbu:MountainReader (01-06-2013)

I'm sorry I can't relate directly. I will say that I have some facial asymmetry due to the muscle issues. I spent a lot of time with a PT who was trained to do orofacial trigger point work. She actually worked inside my mouth in addition to the outer jaw and neck areas. That helped me with the spasming in addition to my splint therapy. The splint therapy really did help too.

There is a book that I found extremely useful. It is called The TMJ Healing Plan by Cynthia Peterson. She explains all about the physical TMJD issues, gives a variety of strategies to help at home and discusses various medical treatments. There may be some things there to help you.

To the best of my knowledge, getting the underlying issues addressed is the best solution to dealing with the rest.

I will say that my orthodontist is a strong proponent to good nutrition with high amounts of anti-oxidents as part of treatment as well. The nutrients in good food help decrease inflammation in the body and facilitate the healing the rest of your treatment is promoting.

Hi, I can relate to you. However my story is a little different. I have always grind my teeth at night and it didn't get worse until after I had my child. I figure it was stress and I never had to get a mouth gaurd until after I got all (4) wisdom teeth pulled in August of 2011. I week after me getting them pulled I began to experience sensitive teeth, when drinking hot and cold but mainly cold things. Then soon after I began to slowly see face changes. My jaw and bite didn't line up anymore and I'm so convenced it was due to my wisdom teeth being pulled. It absolutly made my TMJ worse and it totally disfigured my face. In December/November of 2011, I began to develop ringing in my ears. Mostly the right ear. One day at work I experienced dizziness and balance issues and immediately went to the ER. ER ran test of every kind and even did an MRI of my brain and couldn't find anything but a little fluid behind my right ear. No ear infection or anything. Again, no one could give me any answers to anything. I had to find out through my own research that fluid behind the ear is a top common symptom of TMJ suffers that's the cause of the ringing in the ear. January of 2012 I began to develop odd symptoms such as swollen neck muscle (SCM Muscle) became swollen and I went to ENT doctors and Primary Care doctor and no one could tell me anything. I had my ENT doctor order me a CT-Scan on my neck and he couldn't find anything wrong. I then started to really noticed my cheekbones were really defined. They came from no were. Then I began to develop a ring around my left eye and followed sunken appearance. I had doctors run all sorts of tests. The worst of the test and they still can't find anything. I finally gave up in February 2012 due to lack of funds. God Bless You and keep in touch. This is so hard for me because I feel so ugly but I'm not. I will keep you in my prayers.

Hi, I can relate to you. However my story is a little different. I have always grind my teeth at night and it didn't get worse until after I had my child. I figure it was stress and I never had to get a mouth gaurd until after I got all (4) wisdom teeth pulled in August of 2011. I week after me getting them pulled I began to experience sensitive teeth, when drinking hot and cold but mainly cold things. Then soon after I began to slowly see face changes. My jaw and bite didn't line up anymore and I'm so convenced it was due to my wisdom teeth being pulled. It absolutly made my TMJ worse and it totally disfigured my face. In December/November of 2011, I began to develop ringing in my ears. Mostly the right ear. One day at work I experienced dizziness and balance issues and immediately went to the ER. ER ran test of every kind and even did an MRI of my brain and couldn't find anything but a little fluid behind my right ear. No ear infection or anything. Again, no one could give me any answers to anything. I had to find out through my own research that fluid behind the ear is a top common symptom of TMJ suffers that's the cause of the ringing in the ear. January of 2012 I began to develop odd symptoms such as swollen neck muscle (SCM Muscle) became swollen and I went to ENT doctors and Primary Care doctor and no one could tell me anything. I had my ENT doctor order me a CT-Scan on my neck and he couldn't find anything wrong. I then started to really noticed my cheekbones were really defined. They came from no were. Then I began to develop a ring around my left eye and followed sunken appearance. I had doctors run all sorts of tests. The worst of the test and they still can't find anything. I finally gave up in February 2012 due to lack of funds. God Bless You and keep in touch. This is so hard for me because I feel so ugly but I'm not. I will keep you in my prayers.

Completely sounds like what happened to me, except i did not allow the maxillofacial dr. to pull my 4 wisdom teeth.....he didn't even diagnose me with tmj....he just looked at the pan xray and mri and said, "You need all 4 of your wisdom teeth pulled". I am sooooo glad my "gut" said, "no"...it was the Holy Spirit....i can only imagine how much worse still it would have been if i had allowed him to pull them....my dentist actually diagnosed me and i went to my daughter's orthodontist for a mouth splint....i had the exact same facial changes..and i can completely identify with every single word of your self-image situation. God bless us both and heal us completely.

I have had a TMJ problem since 2010 with result of limited opening and can't chew foods - can only eat soft foods. It was recently brought to my attention, that my temples have hallowed out on the side (but I think this has happened slowly over time since 2010). I think this is due to muscle atrophy. There is a big muscle in the temple (the temporalis I think) that attaches to the jaw - and basically I'm not using it - if you don't use your muscle (any muscle) over time it atrophies and basically shrinks. This may be what is happening to you. My surgeon wants to cut the temporalis tendon by cutting away a peice of the jaw bone where the tendon attaches. He says this is the only way I will be able to open (I have some other problems too). I've always worn bangs and that pretty well hides the sunken temples but it is distressing though at this point in my life given everything else, looks are the least of my concern.

Hello
I hope you are still on here, I see it has been awhile since your post.
And I am noticing the same thing! I have been wearing my splint for just over a year now. I first thought I was just aging but so many big changes have happened.
Sunk in temples, middle of my face is so sunk in, ie: cheeks, under eyes.
I feel like I am starting to resemble a monkey/gorilla like face structure. I am so stressed. How is your situation going? Did you get further treatment for your changes?
Any suggestions??
Thank you.

Hello
I hope you are still on here, I see it has been awhile since your post.
And I am noticing the same thing! I have been wearing my splint for just over a year now. I first thought I was just aging but so many big changes have happened.
Sunk in temples, middle of my face is so sunk in, ie: cheeks, under eyes.
I feel like I am starting to resemble a monkey/gorilla like face structure. I am so stressed. How is your situation going? Did you get further treatment for your changes?
Any suggestions??
Thank you.

Not sure if you are directing your question at me. I have to bilateral joint replacement surgery and that's on hold due to other health issues I've developed. I don't know the answer, I would suggest you speak to you dentist who is treating you. I've simply been told its muscle atrophy because I can't chew anything anymore. If surgery is sucessful, maybe some of that muscle will rebuild its - the muscles are still there, they haven't dissappeared, but I simply don't know.

I guess I don't care anymore. I've never been pretty and now at 50 years old it really doesn't matter. I don't care about anything any more.

I have this too. I just assumed my face has changed because of the state that my joints are in. After two surgeries, nerves have been damaged. After 15 years of diseased joints, more nerves are damaged. I never really thought much about it. I just accepted it.